Microsoft has again extended its server system interoperability pact with Suse, almost five years after the original deal was struck between the software maker and Novell, the company behind Suse at the time.

The new extension, announced yesterday, will run until January 1, 2016. It again sees Microsoft commit to shelling out $100 million for Suse Linux Enterprise certificates, much as the last extension did in August 2008. The certificates will be used to buy support for Microsoft's enterprise customers who are running Suse Linux. It is not clear how much of the $100 million payment agreed upon in the 2008 extension actually changed hands.